This year has been a whirlwind of adventure, challenges, and learning. As my buddy Ethan would say "Every day is better than the last."

Looking back on the year it is hard to believe all that has happened, from cycling through Cambodia to a month of sandstone crack climbing in China. Not to mention launching my career in the Pacific NW.

Sitting here in Chiang Mai again I am gripped with an inconsolable nostalgia that this chapter of life is coming to a close. My intent was never to stay in Asia so long, but life being as it is led me down a path that was never apparent.

March signifies our departure from Thailand, bringing an emotional surge of joy and loss. In a way the education I have gained, both conscious and unconscious, has defined who I am and what I believe in. The tools and insight gained will no doubt shape my future in a dramatic way.

There are still over a thousand clients to instruct this high season, and I am getting a bit ahead of myself with the farewell. The remaining time spent with the family cultivated here will be well received and cherished. Taking time to make people aware of how much they mean to me, and how fortunate I have been for eating, working, learning, laughing, and sharing in each others company.

Next year presents a whole new range of possibilities and discovery with our transition back to the U.S. I welcome it with open arms and an open heart.